(Lance Wendt/LanceWendt.com)

January 13, 2018 was a very significant day for Columbine’s Luke O’Brien. He can recall the game in which he scored 40 points in an 86-79 overtime win over Bear Creek but doesn’t think too much of it just a couple years later.

But the reaction outside of Columbine, Jefferson County and the greater Denver area was a little more telling of how much attention this year’s Class 5A CHSAANow.com boys basketball Player of the Year would get as an upperclassman.

That kid’s a sophomore?

“It was a defining moment,” O’Brien said. “When I hit that, that’s what I was most known for and it snowballed into the player that I am now. That’s one of the best games I’ve ever played.”

It was on that day, the day that Columbine had won just its fifth game of the season, that a lot of people figured out who Luke O’Brien was.

“He had an ability to take over,” Rebels coach Clay Thielking said. “That game went into overtime and he kind of just pushed us over the edge and made big plays late when it mattered. From a clutch perspective, that’s where he showed what he could do.”

He had averaged a respectable 11 points per game as a freshman and that number jumped to almost 17 as a sophomore.

As a junior and a senior he had gotten the attention of the people he really needed to get the attention of. Perhaps the most notable was Tad Boyle, a former standout Colorado player and current head men’s basketball coach at the University of Colorado.

A scholarship offer was made and O’Brien quickly accepted.

“The whole recruiting process was really stressful,” he said. “Every time I came up to CU, I was so welcomed. Tad really wanted. He kept persisting about how he wanted me to play there. Once I was offered, it was a no-brainer.”

One look at the numbers and it’s a given that O’Brien is a Power 5 player. For his career, he shot 47 percent from the field, including 56 percent from inside the 3-point line. As his abilities grew, so did his body.

Listed at 6-foot-8, O’Brien had no problem crashing the boards, even playing from a guard position for the Rebels. He finished the year tied at 13th in the state regardless of classification in rebounds per game at 12.4.

“He’s so unique,” Thielking said. “He’s so skilled and he makes things look really easy because of his skill level. When you combine that with his length and the fact that he’s long and pretty athletic, he just does so many things that impact the game on both ends of the floor.”

Six times in in the 2019-20 season, O’Brien scored 30 or more points. With even a brief, general knowledge of what he’s been capable of the last few seasons, that hardly comes as a surprise.

But the reality is that it’s a stat that’s more impressive with a bit of added context to it. Because heading into each game, the Rebels’ opponents had a solid defensive gameplan.

If they can slow down O’Brien, they give themselves their best chance at winning the game.

He was constantly being attacked with double- and triple-team defensive sets. That just made his plan of attack a little more fun.

“I love competition,” O’Brien said. “I love that defenses were throwing box-and-ones at me and double-teaming and triple-teaming me. It was fun taking over games and being that guy on the team.”

Being ‘The Guy’ was a role he thrived in as he got the Rebels to the 5A Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum. After scoring 33 points in a Sweet 16 win over Boulder he got his team to a building where he had always dreamed of playing. 

Next winter, O’Brien will bring the same qualities that made him a star at Columbine to the floor of the CU Events Center. He and 3A Player of the Year Dominique Clifford will help make up a freshman class that should be exciting for CU Buffs fans throughout the state.

There’s no doubt that O’Brien passes the eye test that comes with being a next-level basketball player, but it was important for him to choose the right spot. And that just happened to be close to home.

“He thought about it for a while,” Thielking said. “He fell in love with the people up there. He loved the coaching staff, he really enjoyed his time with the players up there and it just felt right to him. It also gave him the chance to play close to his family.”

Which means they’ll be around to watch his continued development. And if it tracks the way it did at Columbine and he drops 40 points in a Pac-12 game as a sophomore, O’Brien and his family are going to have a lot of fun in the future.

(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

(@9RDurangoAD/Twitter)

Stadiums across Colorado lit up on Monday night as schools and districts sought to offer a beacon of hope to their students.

From Bennett to Steamboat Springs, local stadiums turned on their lights as they responded to an idea from CHSAA assistant commissioner Adam Bright to show students we are thinking of them, even as schools remained closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“High schools are so often the centerpiece of a community,” Bright said. “Shining the lights lets our communities and students know we miss them and look forward to being back. When this is over, these lights will be on and the stadiums will fill as we resume life as normal and celebrate our communities through high school athletics and activities.”

“Seeing empty stadiums with lights on in other parts of the country on social media, I thought it would be a great way to engage our Colorado high school communities,” Bright added. “I wanted to see our social media feeds filled with Colorado stadiums being the light for Colorado so I consulted with a couple of schools across the state to create a ‘Be The Light’ challenge for our schools to compete in.”

It even spawned a hashtag: #bethelightCO.

Steamboat Springs athletic director Luke DeWolfe sent the following message to his school community: “Last night the lights at Gardner Field were turned as a beacon of solidarity that signifies our commitment to kids, and our community. The lights burned for 11 minutes (one minute for each day we have been out of school). Together we will continue to shine.”

Said District 11 district athletic director Chris Noll: “The school is the hub of a community and kids love being at school. They might not always love class, but most of them love being at school and being around their peers and friends and staff members. Colorado Springs D11 is excited to participate in #BeTheLightCO as a way for us to tell our kids that we miss them and we are thinking of them! Even though we might not be together, we are still there for not only them, but the families of D11. ”

Taking part on Monday night included:

Durango, which wrote that “our stadium misses you, our halls miss you, our classrooms miss you!”

DHS Students – Our stadium misses you, our halls miss you, our classrooms miss you! We light the lights for you tonight students. We miss you and know you’re going to get through this dark chapter. There will be light once again in our stadium! #bethelightCO @AdamCHSAA @CHSAA pic.twitter.com/K6JqS8uqmi

— 9R Durango Athletics & Activities (@9RDurangoAD) March 31, 2020

Steamboat Springs:

pic.twitter.com/Nnm801wYrP

— SailorsAthletics (@SteamboatAD) March 31, 2020

Colorado Springs District 11, which put together a video:

Sierra, which wrote, “Let this be a light of hope and assurance that you are on our hearts and in our minds.”

In these tough times let us provide a light of hope! #GoStallions #StallionNation #BeTheLightCO #DoingMyPartCO pic.twitter.com/ct7EmTZL1n

— Sierra Athletics (@SierraHSsports) March 31, 2020

Bennett:

“Bennett Tiger Family we are leaving the lights on for you! Let this be a light of hope and assurance that you are on our hearts and in our minds. We will run the lights every weekday night from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Paul Reed Field”. #bethelightCO pic.twitter.com/BQUDeI34pA

— Adam Bright (@HPU_Bright) March 31, 2020

Now the hope is that other schools and school districts jump in and take part.

“More and more lights across Colorado will shine bright over the coming days as a symbol of hope and assurance that our communities are in our thoughts,” Bright said. “I’m proud of the sense of camaraderie our Colorado high schools share and will enjoy this challenge lighting up stadiums in solidarity of great days ahead across the state.”

UPDATE: On Tuesday night, the movement continued to grow.

(Photo courtesy of D11 Athletics)

(Brent Murphy/MaxPreps)

Kendra Parra doesn’t care what sport she’s playing or who she’s playing against. Once the signal is given that it’s time to start playing, she’s going to battle and do whatever it takes to out a winner.

That’s what impresses Del Norte girls basketball coach Gilbert Sanchez so much about his star senior.

“She is ultra competitive,” Sanchez said. “I don’t care what it is. Whether it’s something in class or being out on the volleyball court, the soccer field or the basketball court. She’s really competitive and if things don’t go her way she’ll figure out a way to get better.”

It’s a family trait. A big part of Parra’s development came through competing with her older brother Carlos at their makeshift court at home.

The results were exactly what she was hoping for as she was named the CHSAANow.com Class 2A girls basketball Player of the Year just last week.

In fact, while she was competing for her team she still considered herself in competition with her brothers and it became just another tool for motivation on the court.

“I hate to lose,” Parra said. “We’d track who had the most points, how much our team would score, who would win and stuff like that.”

This season was the second year in a row in which Parra averaged 21 points and five rebounds per game. She was named first-team All-State in 2019, the only junior named to the squad. Her career will continue in college when she heads to Metro State in Denver. 

But her basketball story is just a small part of her overall makeup as a student-athlete. She is a multi-sport athlete who battles on just out every field or court available to her as a Tiger.

She recorded over 150 kills for the volleyball team this past fall. She scored a career-high 24 goals on the soccer field two years ago before adding 11 as a junior last spring. She even played for Del Norte’s baseball team last team last year and through 30 at-bats built an average of .500 while driving in six runs. Her OPS was an impressive 1.116. None of this was surprising to Sanchez, a man that had watched her develop into an overall tremendous athlete.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” he said. “She’s a natural athlete. Heck, from pee wee all the way through junior high, she played football. She’s not shy to get up there and battle with anybody.”

And it showed by the time her senior year ended. She was 51 points shy of becoming the 11th player in state history to score 2,000 career points. She’ll finish her career No. 13 on the state’s all-time scoring list.

The only thing that eludes her resumé is a state championship, but the reality is that she will be long remembered for her play and more importantly, how she carried herself on the court. 

“I was focused and prepared,” Parra said. “I was focused every single game and I knew that you practice like you play. There wasn’t a lot of time to joke around. You had to have your team involved and attitude was everything.”

When hearing about what made Parra so special, future players will likely just use numbers as a basis of comparison. But her career point total or her average of points, rebounds and assists per game don’t come close to painting a full picture of what she meant to the Tigers.

Those are the general evaluation tools when it comes to determining the greatness of athletes at all levels. The real story though, will come from someone like Sanchez. He’ll be able to gather them around and tell them about Parra as a player. He won’t use numbers. He’ll provide substance.

“She’s been the hub of our team the last three years,” he said. “She had a great skill set to begin with but as she progressed, she embraced everything and rolled with it.”

And more importantly, she competed while doing it. Every second of every day she battled and never once cared who she battled against.

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

As we navigate a “new normal” in the midst of COVID-19, we caught up with commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green to get her thoughts on the adjustments to the spring schedule and the impact the pandemic is having on communities.

Currently, the spring sports season is suspended until April 18, but recent updates from the federal government have extended social distancing guidelines to April 30, so the suspension date is likely to be extended by Blanford-Green this week.

[divider]

Question: The public has a tendency to focus on sports, but the last A in CHSAA stands for “Activities.” How has the spring suspension impacted activities?

Blanford-Green: I appreciate the opportunity to speak to how the moratorium has impacted our activities programs. The month of April is a celebration in our office in which we take a step back from athletics and celebrate our music participants. Our student participant numbers in music are the highest of any activity or sport we have. Last year, there were more than 41,000 music participants. For reference, our next-highest participation is in football, which has a little more than 16,500 participants.

Because of that, the month of April has always been an opportunity for the CHSAA staff to travel state-wide to be a part of these events. In the recent years, schools hosting music competitions has increased two-fold. So the decision to cancel those events to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 was among the most difficult of all the decisions made to date.

Q: What has gone into the decision-making in terms of suspending the season, or cancelling activities?

Blanford-Green: Although the final decisions have been communicated to our school communities and the public directly from me, I have had the opportunity to be surrounded by an amazing CHSAA staff, the Board of Directors, state and educational leaders, as well as my 50 colleagues across the nation that are facing the same decisions and challenges as we are in Colorado.

It’s important for anyone making these decisions to remember that no matter how emotionally tied we are to what the negative impacts will be, we have to be cognizant of the decisions being made above us which may dictate our next steps.

Q: You spoke about emotions, and talk often about how your decisions are being made for the safety and well-being of our students. Can you dig deeper into that?

Blanford-Green: Our CHSAA staff are former athletes. We’re coaches. We’re officials. We’re prep media writers. We’re volunteers. And even parents of former senior athletes. We know the impact of activities and athletics within our communities.

Many people are invested in creating this positive high school experience that create memories for a lifetime. We don’t take these decisions lightly, and they do resonate from our own experiences, but we do have the responsibility to follow the guidance and mandates from our state and educational leaders, aside from our personal connections.

Q: During this time, has CHSAA encouraged connection with students and coaches?

Blanford-Green: Yes! From my first communication with schools, we have encouraged voluntary virtual connection — whether that’s just connecting with a kid, or uploading a work out. We tried to discourage those being solely about athletics, but we know that for some students that connection would maybe include a workout or a drill, or something of that nature. Even if it’s a teammate-to-teammate, or coach-to-athlete, we encourage virtual contact. What we have said is no physical contact, and that is to help mitigate the spread of the virus.

All of our data has shown us that kids in crisis often times connect to their coach. And we wanted to maintain, even in the social distancing mandates, that our coaches could connect and communicate with their athletes, but especially those who are fragile without the additional of a pandemic.

Q: If you had one statement that you would want others to hear from you, what would that be?

Blanford-Green: We must put into perspective that this is a world-wide, national and state health crisis. It’s OK to feel the disappointment and levels of anxiety as we navigate this new normal. But I truly believe that we will come to appreciate many of the things that we have taken for granted.

The 2019-20 all-state girls basketball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of coaches.

A specific player of the year vote was held in each class, as was a vote for coach of the year.

[divider]

Class 5A

(PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

Player of the year: Jana Van Gytenbeek, Cherry Creek

Coach of the year: Jessika Caldwell, Valor Christian

Honorable mention: Callie Allen, Fruita Monument, Senior; Nikki Antonopoulos, Brighton, Junior; Avery Bang, Chaparral, Sophomore; Torie Bass, Fountain-Fort Carson, Junior; Sydney Bevington, Ralston Valley, Junior; Jessica Bollwahn, Columbine, Sophomore; Danae Christensen, Fountain-Fort Carson, Senior; Jordynn Conner, Denver East, Junior; Lila Dere, Fruita Monument, Senior; Mackenzie Gamble, Mountain Vista, Senior; Timiya Guevara, Denver South, Junior; Sophia Hadad, Fossil Ridge, Senior; Makayla Hemingway, Cherokee Trail, Senior; Shamahra Henderson, Thornton, Senior; Seairra Hughes, Vista Peak Prep, Senior; Jay Jones, Adams City, Senior; Taryn Lindsey, Doherty, Junior; Halle Mackiewicz, Legacy, Senior; Kali March, Arapahoe, Senior; Lydia Marshall, Liberty, Senior; Izzy Munson, Fairview, Senior; Taylor Ray, Highlands Ranch, Sophomore; Leah Redding, Grand Junction Central, Junior; Jadyn Ross, Eaglecrest, Senior; Saya Sabus, Ralston Valley, Sophomore; Jenna Siebert, Valor Christian, Junior; Megan Stackhouse, Loveland, Senior; Grace Talbot, Chatfield, Sophomore; Nadia Trevizo-Medina, Lakewood, Senior; Olivia Waufle, Horizon, Senior; Nyera West, Rangeview, Sophomore; Courtney Wristen, Broomfield, Junior; Lauren Zwetzig, Fossil Ridge, Senior.
[divider]

Class 4A

(Ismael Gomez)

Player of the year: Hannah Simental, Pueblo West

Coach of the year: Alan Gibson, Berthoud

Honorable mention: Jasmine Arreola, Denver West, Sophomore;
Hannah Burg, Falcon, Junior; Serin Dunne, Mesa Ridge, Senior; Jada Dupree, Pueblo South, Senior; Sydnee Durtsche, Thompson Valley, Senior; Josie Eccher, Montrose, Senior; Gracie Gallegos, Mullen, Sophomore; Elli Garnett, Golden, Senior; Thalia Guardiola, Skyview, Junior; Genevieve Gudino, Erie, Junior; Krystina Hagood, Sand Creek, Senior; Jordynn Lee, Longmont, Senior; Liberty Line, Ponderosa, Junior; Gabby Louther, Pueblo West, Sophomore; Erin Mauro, Pueblo County, Senior; Giavonna Meeks, Northfield, Sophomore; Julia Mischke, Centaurus, Junior; Amyah Moore, Harrison, Junior; Diamond Moore, Harrison, Senior; Jameson Mott, Evergreen, Freshman; Grace Moyers, Erie, Sophomore; Brooke Murrell, Thomas Jefferson, Freshman; Avery Oaster, Green Mountain, Sophomore; Imani Perez, Mullen, Sophomore; Ashayla Powers, Skyline, Senior; Susie Puchino, Littleton, Senior; Mason Rowland, Durango, Freshman; Kaydee Sims, Weld Central, Junior; Natalya Taylor, Glenwood Springs, Senior; Maddie Topping, D’Evelyn, Sophomore; Selena Vargas, Cheyenne Mountain, Senior; Maya Whiteside, George Washington, Junior; Tyler Whitlock, Holy Family, Junior.
[divider]

Class 3A

(Derek Regensburger/MaxPreps)

Player of the year: Josephine Howery, St. Mary’s

Coach of the year: Wes Lewis, Pagosa Springs

Honorable mention: Jacky Alvarez-Gordillo, Eagle Ridge Academy, Senior; Corrie Anderson, Colorado Springs Christian, Senior; Cortney Arrasmith, The Vanguard School, Senior; Madison Bogue, Strive Prep – Smart Academy, Junior; Brooke Bunting, Platte Valley, Sophomore; Jasmine Cardona, Sterling, Senior; Mikylah Espinosa, The Academy, Sophomore; Ashley Finch, Faith Christian, Senior; Ella Freimuth, Colorado Academy, Junior; Alexis Garcia, The Vanguard School, Junior; Sara Geddes, Delta, Senior; Kammie Henderson, Cedaredge, Junior; Julia Holden, Trinidad, Senior; Kenzie Kraich, Brush, Junior; Taryn Kravig, University, Freshman; Nakaiya Kuskie, Eaton, Junior; Emily Lavier, Alamosa, Junior; Jade Leibel, Florence, Senior; Amanda Licht, Kent Denver, Sophomore; Maya Lindgren, Roaring Fork, Junior; Hayden Mayo, La Junta, Senior; Brenna McDaniel, Centauri, Junior; Mady McFee, Buena Vista, Senior; Jaecynda Nienhuser, Ellicott, Junior; Aniah Olson, Manitou Springs, Senior; Kate Osborne, DSST: Byers, Junior; Rachel Pelino, Salida, Junior; Aryanna Perez, The Academy, Sophomore; Jordyn Pittman, Grand Valley, Senior; Keely Porter, Delta, Junior; Daisy Rodriguez, Aurora West College Prep Academy, Junior; Cora Schissler, Platte Valley, Sophomore; Macee Shultz, Bayfield, Junior; Natalie Smink, DSST: Montview, Senior; Izzy Swanson, Liberty Common, Junior; Dalayna Tadolini, Brush, Senior; Lily Thimsen, Jefferson Academy, Senior; Isabelle Trujillo, Arrupe Jesuit, Senior; Carly Villegas, Riverdale Ridge, Junior; Taylor Wiescamp, Coal Ridge, Junior; Paige Yarbrough, Montezuma-Cortez, Junior.
[divider]

Class 2A

(Brent Murphy/MaxPreps)

Player of the year: Kendra Parra, Del Norte

Coach of the year: Bart O’Dwyer, Limon

Honorable mention: Sophie Adamson, Rye, Sophomore; Sydney Adamson, Rye, Sophomore; Kara Amidon, Denver Christian, Senior; Sidney Brown, Highland, Senior; Kayedence Bruner, Soroco, Sophomore; Asia Caldon, Sanford, Sophomore; Cheyenne Caldon, Sanford, Sophomore; Alex Camilletti, Hayden, Senior; Saedee Davis, Holly, Senior; Kaitlyn Day, Dawson School, Senior; Madison Day, Dawson School, Senior; Mayson Fago, Union Colony Prep, Senior; Morgan Gribble, Swink, Senior; Devon Harris, Byers, Senior; Lauren Herman, Holyoke, Sophomore; Makayla Howell, Ignacio, Senior; Tabby Jones, Wray, Junior; Gabby Jones, Del Norte, Sophomore; Kacie Lapp, Rangely, Junior; Kaeci Madrid, Del Norte, Junior; Amana Malki, Lotus School For Excellence, Sophomore; Sarina Mansour, Colorado Springs School, Senior; Trista Marx, Limon, Sophomore; Leslie Mendoza, Holly, Senior; Shelby Miller, Peyton, Junior; Jaiden Monger, Calhan, Junior; Avaleena Nanaeto, Ignacio, Sophomore; Jolee Ortiz, Rye, Junior; Trinity Perry, Burlington, Junior; Kaitlyn Rector, Simla, Junior; Whitney Richardi, Colorado Springs School, Junior; Ema Richardson, Yuma, Junior; Chloe Richardson, Rye, Junior; Abby Shay, Wray, Senior; Elsie Vazquez, Hotchkiss, Senior; Elissa Velasquez, Dolores Huerta Prep, Senior; Taylor Warnecke, Simla, Senior.
[divider]

Class 1A

(Courtesy of Springfield HS)

Player of the year: Julia Mondragon, Springfield

Coach of the year: Tom Jacobs, South Baca

Honorable mention: Anna Beckett, McClave, Sophomore; Claire Carlson, Cotopaxi, Senior; Bailea Carothers, Kiowa, Senior; Taysa Conger, Merino, Sophomore; Kendall Conway, De Beque, Sophomore; Patience Crane, South Baca, Senior; Anela Dixon, Mile High Academy, Junior; Kenlee Durrill, Flatirons Academy, Freshman; Bryn Durrill, Flatirons Academy, Junior; Audrey Gibbs, Ouray, Junior; Alyssa Hammel, Moffat, Senior; Grace Hatfield, Dove Creek, Junior; Alissa Hebberd, South Baca, Junior; Shelby Hoffman, Briggsdale, Junior; Andrea Hornung, Stratton/Liberty, Senior; Sage Laymon, Cotopaxi, Senior; Jazmin Martinez, North Park, Senior; Lexis Metz, Sangre de Cristo, Senior; Camren Morris, Idalia, Sophomore; Talara Nittler, Kim/Branson, Junior; Kylie Parks, Springfield, Senior; Jensen Renquist, Walsh, Freshman; Macy Rowan, Wiley, Junior; Emme Rushing, Nucla, Junior; Ryely Smartt, Genoa-Hugo/Karval, Senior; Tessa Smith, Genoa-Hugo/Karval, Junior; Ally Spady, Eads, Junior; Taylor Vandenburg, Longmont Christian, Junior; Alivia Weathers, Lone Star, Sophomore; Kalea Zeender, Shining Mountain, Sophomore.

The 2019-20 all-state boys basketball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of coaches.

A specific player of the year vote was held in each class, as was a vote for coach of the year.

[divider]

Class 5A

(Lance Wendt/LanceWendt.com)

Player of the year: Luke O’Brien, Columbine

Coach of the year: Shawn Palmer, Rangeview

Honorable mention: Trevor Baskin, Pomona, Senior; Rocky Beers, Valor Christian, Senior; Ben Bowen, Mountain Vista, Junior; Greysen Carter, Fairview, Junior; Ryan Collins, Broomfield, Senior; Daric Conkright, Horizon, Senior; Fred Edmonds, George Washington, Junior; Messiah Ford, Aurora Central, Senior; Caden Gigstad, Ralston Valley, Senior; Ben Hageman, Windsor, Junior; Tristan Hurdle, Highlands Ranch, Senior; Taeshaud Jackson Jr., Dakota Ridge, Junior; Kendale Johnson, George Washington, Junior; Reece Kelly, Mountain Vista, Senior; Aidan Kuhl, Rocky Mountain, Sophomore; AJ Lacabe, Vista PEAK Prep, Senior; Keyshawn Maltbia, Fountain-Fort Carson, Senior; Nolan Marold, ThunderRidge, Junior; Jordan McKay, Liberty, Sophomore; Amondo Miller, Valor Christian, Junior; Lucas Moerman, Doherty, Senior; Cade Palmer, Rangeview, Junior; Myles Purchase, Cherry Creek, Junior; Langston Reynolds, Denver East, Sophomore; Caleb Rillos, Ralston Valley, Senior; Christian Speller, Rangeview, Senior; Boston Stanton lll, Denver East, Junior; Bryson Stephens, Arapahoe, Senior; Tyler Turner, Boulder, Senior; Jeremiah Warren, Hinkley, Junior; Peyton Westfall, Pine Creek, Senior.[divider]

Class 4A

(Arlee Aragon/Fountain-Fort Carson High School)

Player of the year: Javonte Johnson, Cheyenne Mountain

Coach of the year: Darin Reese, Mead

Honorable mention: Bryce Andrews, Weld Central, Sophomore; Tarrance Austin, Pueblo South, Sophomore; Mason Black, Falcon, Sophomore; Mitchell Burt, Glenwood Springs, Senior; Joe Cartelli, Frederick, Senior; Randall Days, Widefield, Senior; Andrew Duquette, Silver Creek, Senior; Watts Erb, Palisade, Senior; Ezekiel Estrada, Kennedy, Senior; Keegan Garvey, Eagle Valley, Senior; Garrett Green, Holy Family, Senior; Ethan Hall, Discovery Canyon, Senior; Ladorian Havard, Erie, Senior; Darius Hornbuckle, Thomas Jefferson, Senior; Luke Hutto, Montrose, Sophomore; John Iuele, Glenwood Springs, Senior; Nick Jacobs, Mead, Senior; Darnell Kindred, Pueblo East, Senior; Griffin Lauritano, Evergreen, Junior; Dawson Lindquist, Steamboat Springs, Senior; Trey Lujan, Rifle, Senior; Tim Marshall, Air Academy, Senior; Brandon Martin, Pueblo Central, Senior; Liam McKenny, Battle Mountain, Senior; Tim Mewborn, Widefield, Senior; Alex Morales, Wheat Ridge, Senior; Jaromy Morgan, Thompson Valley, Junior; Kevin Mulligan, Golden, Senior; Seth Newton, Canon City, Junior; Nazarie Poliuk, Summit, Junior; Austin Robison, Skyline, Senior; Tayvis Sagrillo-Smiley, Littleton, Senior; Cooper Sheldon, Niwot, Senior; Trey Towndrow, Green Mountain, Senior; Landon Wallace, Conifer, Senior; Trey Ward, Mead, Senior; Colin Westfall, Lewis-Palmer, Junior.
[divider]

Class 3A

(Derek Regensburger/MaxPreps)

Player of the year: Dominique Clifford, The Vanguard School

Coach of the year: Bruce Dick, Resurrection Christian

Honorable mention: Joey Allen, Manitou Springs, Senior; Joah Armour, Manitou Springs, Junior; Buddy Askenazi, DSST: Montview, Senior; Mikey Babi, Bennett, Junior; Isaac Bearss, Buena Vista, Junior; Pace Billings, Kent Denver, Senior; Qahhar Burns, DSST: Montview, Senior; William Cervantes, Trinidad, Senior; Tayt Chacon, University, Sophomore; Mason Claunch, Centauri, Sophomore; Elliott Cravitz, Colorado Academy, Sophomore; Austin Gerber, Coal Ridge, Senior; Myles Godina, Salida, Junior; Scott Grable, Eaton, Junior; Nate Gravagno, Englewood, Junior; Alec Holman, Centauri, Senior; Sam Howery, St. Mary’s, Sophomore; Hunter Hughes, Delta; Timothy Huston, DSST: Green Valley Ranch, Senior; Ian Jackson, Alamosa; Chris Jones, Ellicott, Senior; Alec Laraby, Middle Park, Senior; Isaiah LaTour, Lamar, Senior; Jacob Marcus, The Academy, Senior; Cayden Mazurek, Riverdale Ridge, Junior; D Moore, Ridge View Academy, Senior; Elijah Mullet, Fort Lupton, Senior; Chance Oquist, La Junta, Senior; Joseph Padilla, The Vanguard School, Senior; Darius Richards, Bishop Machebeuf, Senior; Bryan Rivera, Atlas Preparatory School, Junior; Jackson Romero, Resurrection Christian, Senior; Brock Shalla, Sterling, Senior; Mason Snarr, Pagosa Springs, Senior; Elian Soto, Jefferson Academy, Senior; Mamadou Sow, Lutheran, Junior; Caleb Stockton, Colorado Springs Christian, Junior; Elijah Thatch, DSST: Byers, Senior; Ryan Ure, Eaton, Junior; Teagan Whiteskunk, Montezuma-Cortez, Senior; Dylan Windorski, Lake County, Junior.
[divider]

Class 2A

(David Johnson/davidjohnsonphotography.org)

Player of the year: Tate Bessire, Highland

Coach of the year: Pete Freeman, Highland

Honorable mention: Ben Buhler, Denver Christian, Sophomore;
Alex Carr, Limon, Junior; Tate Dille, Sedgwick County, Junior; Jesus Dominguez, West Grand, Sophomore; Dakota Eaton, Holly, Sophomore; Jared Ehmke, Sedgwick County, Junior; Nick Estes, Soroco, Senior; Bryce Finn, Ignacio, Junior; Coby Grant-Krenz, Dawson School, Senior; Jaden Johnson, Heritage Christian, Senior; Ethan Johnson, Holyoke, Sophomore; AJ Lashley, Peyton, Sophomore; Dylan Lebleu, Rangely, Senior; Jamison Lee, Vail Christian, Senior; Brady McCaw, Ignacio, Junior; Brennen Meyers, Peyton, Junior; Zaine Mikita, Byers, Senior; Omar Moreno, Holly, Junior; Alec Moritz, Vail Christian, Senior; Nic Navarette, Hoehne, Senior; Jacob Palecki, Hotchkiss, Senior; Justin Pecar, Wray, Senior; Cole Rogers, Meeker, Senior; Caden Showalter, Mancos, Senior; Connor Show Showalter, Mancos, Sophomore; Hunter Slowik, Hayden, Junior; Christian Still, Dayspring Christian Academy, Junior; Trey Summers, Union Colony Prep, Junior; Isaiah Trujillo, Dolores Huerta Prep, Senior; Samuel Uyemura, Wray, Junior; Austyn Vig, Plateau Valley, Senior.
[divider]

Class 1A

(Ty Lin Williams/Kiowa County Independent)

Player of the year: Jayden McCombs-Farmer, Kit Carson

Coach of the year: Damon Dechant, Kit Carson

Honorable mention: Jhett Alapia, Elbert, Junior; Elijah Aragon, Kim/Branson, Senior; Damien Barnes, Eads, Junior; Jonah Bertolino, Cotopaxi, Junior; Landon Bunker, Evangelical Christian, Senior; Dominic Coleman, Granada, Sophomore; Kade Comstock, Fleming, Junior; Cade Conger, Merino, Senior; Antonio Cordova, Primero, Junior; Zeke Craig, Bethune, Senior; Assane Diop, Belleview Christian, Freshman; Mitch Dollerschell, Prairie, Senior; Sullivan Farmer, Kit Carson, Junior; Channing Green, Ouray, Senior; Chance Gulliford, Cotopaxi, Senior; Brenden Hodges, Walsh, Senior; Tanner Hutt, Merino, Senior; Jaden Jordan, De Beque, Junior; Jon Kochavi, Denver Jewish Day, Senior; Brady Kuntz, Lone Star, Junior; Jaret Lichty, Stratton/Liberty, Junior; Lawrence Lucero, Wiley, Senior; Alan McCaffrey, Arickaree/Woodlin, Senior; Rylan McCall, Walsh, Senior; Liam Miller, Ouray, Senior; Wyatt Miller, Genoa-Hugo/Karval, Sophomore; Ethan Moore, Pikes Peak Christian, Junior; Sam Mote, Evangelical Christian, Senior; Christian Nation, Otis, Senior; Logan Owen, Belleview Christian, Junior; Trey Pearce, Cheraw, Junior; Aly Sakho, Denver Waldorf, Senior; Darian Schaller, Springfield, Junior; Ryan Shellenberger, Longmont Christian, Senior; Ryan Tempel, Haxtun, Junior; Dax Towns, Idalia, Senior; Dustin Wenz, Kiowa, Junior; Cooper White, Peetz, Senior; Tyler Wytulka, Nucla, Junior; Josh Yoder, Edison, Sophomore.

(Paul Soriano)

INDIANAPOLIS — High school spirit rules changes for the 2020-21 school year remain centered on increasing safety for cheerleading and dance teams across the country.

This year, minimizing injury risk for stunting personnel and during inversions and releases were among the 16 rules changes recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Spirit Rules Committee, which met February 10-11 in Orlando, Florida. All changes recommended by the committee were approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

“The committee has been working for years to make spirit activities safer for our student participants, while maintaining a high level of competition and crowd leading,” said James Weaver, NFHS director of performing arts and sports. “This will continue to be a primary focus of the Spirit Rules Committee.”

Stunting personnel safety was addressed in Rule 3-2-1c, a new addition to the NFHS Spirit Rules Book. The rule states that bases may not hold signs or other objects while supporting an extended stunt, which allows them to focus on providing stability for those at the top of the stunt.

Modifications to inversions constituted a large portion of the 2020-21 rules changes, highlighted by Rule 3-3-6c1 and Rule 3-3-6c2 (cheer), and Rule 4-3-6c1 and Rule 4-3-6c2 (dance).

Under Rule 3-3-6c2/4-3-6c2, a spotter has been added as a point of sufficient contact for a top person who is inverted, and the required contact with the top person has been changed to any part of the body. Prior to this change, only a base and the top person’s upper body were listed as viable contact points.

Three more inversion-related changes were made to Rules 3-3-5a, 3-3-5g and 3-3-5h, which deal with acceptable conditions for braced flips within a pyramid. The change to 3-3-5a mandates that in situations where a single bracer is used for a braced flip, there must now be a hand/arm connection between both hands/arms of the top and bracer. A top person may now perform up to one complete twist within a braced flip as described in 3-3-5g, which is an increase from a half-twist in the previous version of the rule. Finally, in order to limit the movement of the top person around the bracers while performing a flipping inversion in a pyramid, 3-3-5h was edited such that a released top person may make no more than a one-quarter turn around the bracer.

A change to Rule 3-3-6a added further specifications to other inversions. Top people performing released inversions must now be released to the original base(s) and are now permitted to twist a maximum of one-quarter turn.

A new rule regarding tumbling was added for both cheer and dance. When executing airborne skills, actions that require hip-over-head rotation may no longer be connected to one another. The basis for this rule is to eliminate standing tucks where athletes connect arms and simultaneously do a standing tuck, which puts the connected participant at serious risk for a head/neck injury.

Regarding drops in cheer and dance, participants are now permitted to land in a pushup position from a handspring; however, doing so from a flip is still prohibited. This alteration clarifies that a drop is a landing on the performing surface from an airborne position.

There were two rules changes to Rule 3-5-5. When releasing from a horizontal or cradle position, the top person is now permitted to go to a stunt at any level to the original bases and may perform up to one-quarter twist. The change aligns this rule with its inversion equivalent. In addition, when a braced released top person lands in a cradle position, the connection between the top and bracer may be hand to foot.

A complete listing of the spirit rules changes, including edited term definitions, will be available on the NFHS website at nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Spirit.”

Competitive spirit ranks ninth in participants for girls with 161,358 in 7,214 schools.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

The Vanguard School’s Dominique Clifford has been named Colorado’s boys basketball player of the year by Gatorade.

Clifford, a senior, is the first athlete from Vanguard in any sport to win the Gatorade award.

A 6-foot-5, 185-pound guard, Clifford helped his team go 22-3, including an appearance in the Class 3A Great 8. He averaged 26.3 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.8 blocks.

“Dominique is a difference-maker at both ends of the floor,” said Buena Vista coach Scott Crites. “He can play at another level that not many kids can get to. His length and athleticism are tough to find.”

Clifford has volunteered locally at Penrose Hospital, and also as a youth basketball coach.

Clifford, who carries a 3.17 GPA, has signed a Letter of Intent to play basketball at Colorado.

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard, Fountain-Fort Carson coach Jake Novotny and FFC offensive coordinator Jeremy Mercer text each other and chat football often. Sometimes maybe a little too often, but that turned out to be a good thing about a week ago.

Confined indoors and away from their players due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the three friends started thinking about how to use this time to get better as coaches. And also to help coaches throughout the state get better with them.

With technology on their side, they worked quickly to create the Box State Blitz Online Coaches Clinic which is set to launch on Monday.

“We consistently talk football,” Goddard said. “We wanted to continue to talk football and I had seen (camps) happening in a few other places. This was the opportunity to get it going in Colorado and we thought we had the opportunity to do and it took off from there.”

The idea actually stemmed from a roundtable discussion not too long ago. CHSAA assistant commissioner Adam Bright hosted a collection of football coaches from around the state to assess the state of football in Colorado and continue to move it in a positive direction.

“One of the things we talked about was that we needed more communication between our coaches with clinics and different things,” Bright said. “Ryan and those guys had the great idea that since we’re all sitting at home why don’t we accomplish one of those goals while we have the downtime.”

This camp aims to do more than just check one box. Goddard was encouraged by the response he got when he announced the launch of the clinic over the weekend.

“The response was better than what we were originally hoping for,” he said.

After an initial trial clinic with Goddard, Novotny and Mercer all conferencing each other in, they moved quickly to get other coaches involved both in terms of speak and attending.

“We feel it’s one way for us to give back to the state for what football has given to us,” Novotny said.

He also feels like it can kickstart options to ensure that coaches aren’t falling behind when it comes to preparation for the fall season.

“It’s even spurred ideas for my own staff,” Novotny added. “We’re talking about doing online staff meetings and doing some virtual stuff. We’ve met with kids online in terms of just checking in on them. And some kids have reached out to coaches about watching film and that kind of stuff. What it’s done more than anything is make us realize there are so many possibilities out there for us as a staff moving forward that we can save time as coaches and even for our players.”

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

The idea alone was enough to spark interest from coaches all over the state. While social distancing has become a national necessity, these coaches are working to balance family lives while making sure kids of their own are getting educated from home. And online clinic has become something that they can utilize while doing both those things and making sure they’re keeping themselves healthy while adhering to the national call to stay home in order to stay healthy.

“The world has really changed the last few decades with the amount of information you can access online,” Arapahoe coach Rod Sherman said. “An online clinic such as this is a great way to learn and learning might look different when I started my coaching career when it was all about sitting in the audience at a coaches clinic. Now you can do so much coaching development just by going online.”

The time between the idea being floated out in a group text chain to the launch of a potentially vital tool was right around a week. Just like they tell the athletes they coach, Goddard, Novotny and Mercer didn’t wait around for their idea to just materialize. They jumped into action and saw their hard work generate their desired result.

“I think what Ryan and Adam are doing is trying to bring a collaborative mentality to Colorado so that football coaches can all grow together,” Sherman added. “It will be good for all the kids and let’s put the competitiveness of the fall aside and do what’s good for kids.”

Their genuine hope is that coaches from all over the state at every classification can benefit in the long run.

“It shows that we have coaches who want to keep getting better but also want to help other coaches,” Bright said. “They want to see the game grow. I’m happy the guys putting this together are some of the ones we’ve partnered with at the CHSAA level to talk about where we want to get to and these guys are showing what kind of leaders they are.”

This week’s clinic speakers include Jason Mohns (Saguaro High School, AZ), Brian Nelson (Mary Persons High School, GA), Jeff Rayburn (Lone Star High School, TX) and Woody Blevins (Assumption College, MA).

Goddard is hoping that the online clinic can consistently feature speakers and also run on a regular basis for the foreseeable future.

Coaches who are interested in online access to the Box State Blitz Clinic can email Ryan Goddard at ryan.goddard@pueblocityschools.us.

Graphic courtesy of Ruth Productions)

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

The voting process for the all-state basketball teams has started, and ballots have been sent out to every head coach across the state.

Each head coach is permitted to vote once. They should have received the ballot in their email this morning. Head coaches: If you did not get a ballot, email rcasey@chsaa.org immediately.

This is the final step of the all-state basketball process, which began last week.

Voting will go through Thursday at 10 a.m.

The full process is as follows:

• Every player who was named first-team in their league is placed on the ballot.
• That ballot is checked by coaches to ensure all eligible players are listed on the ballot.
• The all-state ballot is sent out to every head coach in the state, and they are given a set period of time to vote on that ballot.
• The results of that vote are then compiled and the all-state teams are created.

The all-state teams will be published this week.